Entries this day: Grar Rie! josephine

Grar

12:31pm JST Wednesday 25 June 2003

The opposite of Rar is Grar.

Koko didn't come to teach me today; her mom came instead. I understand Koko's reasons; she's working on a thesis and doesn't have time to come chitchat with me about bullshit. That's all fine and good but I wish I had known so I could be mentally ready for the change. But oh well fuckit. I actually learned a lot more with her mom cause her mom has been teaching for a long time now. I must say that *now* I am taking 3 Japanese classes. Before it was 2 classes and a chat. So I've been presented a third "curriculum," a third style of teaching, which seems more suited for little kids.

A car tried to run me over on the way home. (*)

I got my thing from Lloyd's so I can send money home. Nick the Lloyd's guy who helped me sign up for the service told me that the intermediary bank in US would charge $10 for the transfer. I'm glad he told me cause I woulda been pissed to find out later. . . . . . So I got my book today and there's 100 yen and 105 yen charges in it, but maybe they aren't charges, but if they are fuckin' why didn't he tell me about them? Why am I so mad about stupid 205 yen? That's pennies. It's nothing. I buy nearly that much orange juice each night. In Japan every little thing is charged. It's annoying (I think Fred would hate it more than me) but someone explained that's why things *work* in Japan. But they really don't always work; sometimes vending machines will be out of service at the train station, etc. Sigh. Get over it or get mad each time.

I'm so contrary. When Yahoo peeps couldn't tell me wtf a 2800 yen charge was for I'm like meh whatever. But this 205 yen has got me hot. And I don't mean turned on. It's just so GRRR to me that Lloyd's seems to have such a monopoly on sending cash home. Maybe I will snail mail it to janette.

I just ate all the cookies and now I feel a little sick.

(*) not really but I had the right of way.

comments

Name: janette

Email: dreamon *redacted*

Subject: ALL the cookies?

Comment:
rob! dude! are you serious? all my sugar cookies?
whoa
yes. send me the money.
all the money, precious, precious money... SHOW ME THE MONEY!! SHOW ME TH..o wait. carried away.
i will deposit your money if you want me to.
i'm glad you did not get hit by a car.

Name: david mccorquodale

Email: daveeddauu

Subject: you and joel

Comment:
rob. i have 2 questions.

actually just 1.
but its pretty tough.

oh i forgot

HI
how are you doing

anyways, im looking for a specific picture of joel brazzel. im pretty sure it was at the houston 02 rally. its in the mugbook, but i was wondering if you had it on the internet so i could show my friend something. the picture is a side portrait of joel, to the left. he's in a 'gasp' mouth open, no teeth showing, a bit of tongue. just his face showing. anyways, im hoping you have it. well. bye. enjoy japan for me.

-mortal permalink

Rie!

4:20pm JST Wednesday 25 June 2003

りえ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I just wrote a long sad email to Kristen about wah wah wah I don't know what I'm really doing here and then AS SOON AS my brain turned off and I sent the message, my phone rang and it was りえ!!!!!!!!

I'll get to see her in about an hour and I'M SO EXCITED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

11:29pm

I got my first full frontal hug in Japan from りえ. I got my *second* full frontal hug from りえ as well. In one day. In one evening.

"You miss the United States more than I thought," she said after I mentioned for the third time in five minutes how I was looking forward to seeing my friends again.

"I miss the hugs. That was the first hug I've gotten since I've been here."

Her eyes widened. "Oh."

"Exactly."

"I'll give you your second hug in Japan, too."

We sat in my room on the floor and then the futon, side by side, as I showed her pictures in reverse chronological order of Hakone, Sakura festival, New Year's party, Oregon, San Francisco, Los Angeles.

Here's something funny: I spent four days and nights at Dude and Veronica's house in Oregon. I have one picture of that visit. A picture of us eating? no. A picture of Dude, Veronica, and her brother whose name I've forgotten? no. A picture of Bailey and Remington's butts as they look expectantly at a door? Yes.

りえの English is SO much better. Most notably her pronounciation of R and L is vastly improved from last time I talked with her at length. "Lauren" sounds like "Lauren" instead of "Roland," and she can say "Briar Forest" and something else.

Mostly I was just like EEEEEEEEEeeee!!!! to have a friend in Japan!

I called しん to see if I could invite りえ to eat with us tonight. I was sure he'd say yes, but didn't want to surprise him. They spoke a lot of Japanese which りえ would then translate to me. I understood a few words and some particles.

Though we had planned for me to pay for dinner tonight, しん paid. I didn't fight him on it; I've been trained otherwise by the M&M twins. りえ tried, but was denied. I did successfully have him not pay a lesson fee.

At the end of the evening, りえ walked home alone though I really wanted to walk her home, if nothing else, to meet some more local Japanese contacts. I asked if I would see her again before she went and she was like "yes" and asked if I had her number. (yes)

I got my second hug and she went her own way as I walked with しん back to the station.

Next week we will meet in 綱島, eat at みほ's, and *I* will pay for dinner.

- - - -

I forgot to say that since she has been in the US, she has forgotten some of the kanji she used to know. And it took her a bit to get her brain back in to Japanese conversation mode when she first got back to Japan. And she's much more outgoing than most other Japanese women.

josephine

1:18am JST Thursday 26 June 2003

So great to talk to Josephine and hear her stories of Harry Potter and France. Best little sister ever.